Worry about the camels, not the gnats

**Joyce Meyer

It is hard to believe how many denominations and independent churches there are today, yet there is only one Bible, one message. It is evident that God has one thing to say to all people, a single plan for our conduct and relationship with Him.

But over the years, because of our pride and narrow-mindedness, we have felt the need to develop a myriad of churches and church groups, even different versions of the Bibles, to suit our own strict interpretations of what we believe the Bible says.

I have come to realize that none of us are 100% correct. Most of the things we fight over are petty. In Matthew 23:24, Jesus told the Pharisees that they strained out a gnat but swallowed a camel. They had gotten so picky about the little things, it prevented them from dealing with the things that were truly important. 

As long as we allow prejudice, hatred and division to continue to have a place in our lives, we will be powerless to stop it. Only agreement and unity in the love of Christ will bring the power to defeat prejudice. We can defeat hatred by allowing love to overcome our critical, divisive attitudes towards others.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, help me to not waste my time worrying about gnats. I realize that I must defeat hatred and prejudice with Your love and be unified with others in the body of Christ.

Matthew 23:24

You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

God's love is more powerful than abuse

**Joyce Meyer

Abuse means "to misuse, to use improperly, to use up or to injure by maltreatment." The effects of abuse can be devastating and long-lasting. Many people never recover from it.

There are different kinds of abuse: sexual, emotional, verbal, physical. No matter the form, the results are always terrible. It will keep you from functioning properly and prevent you from receiving and experiencing the righteousness, peace, and joy of God's kingdom.

I understand this firsthand because I was abused throughout my childhood. Thankfully, I do not just know the power of abuse, but I know the great power of God's love. Because of the love of God, my past does not have to affect my future anymore.

If you have been abused in the past, understand today that God loves you. Nothing can separate you form His love. He has made a way for you to be free form your past and to enter true Kingdom living.

With Jesus, there is hope for newness of life. Will you receive His love today?

Prayer starter: God, I have been abused and misused, but I would not let my past affect my future. Overwhelm me with Your love today so that I can experience Your freedom from abuse.

Romans 8:38

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers

Let the Holy Spirit take you from 'doing' to 'being''

**Joyce Meyer

I remember when I was a born-again Christian who was actively involved in church life, but I was not getting victory over my problems. I thought that if I acted like a Christian and looked like I had my act together, I would be happy. But doing the right thing was not enough. I needed a change on the inside.

Acts 1:8 speaks of receiving God's power to be His witnesses. Notice it does not say to do witnessing but to be witnesses. Doing is a different thing than being. I had my outside polished up, but my inner life was a wreck. Quite often the inner turmoil exploded, and then everybody could see I was not quite what I appeared to be.

Thankfully, I came to the point where I was desperate for a move of God in my life and knew there had to be more than what I had experienced in my relationship with Him. As I cried out to Him in prayer for help, He touched my life in a powerful way, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave me a real love for God and His Word and like never before. Now I was no longer faking it. I encourage you to receive this same Holy Spirit power. Let Him take you from 'doing' to 'being'.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, give me Your power so that I can go from 'doing' to 'being'. I want to love and follow You from the core of who I am.

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The best way to start the day

**Joyce Meyer

How do you start your day? DO you hurriedly get out of bed and barely make it out the door on time? Do you turn on the TV? Do you go exercise? Whatever your morning routine may be, the most important question you need to ask yourself is, "What role does God play when I start my day?"

It took me a lot of years to figure this out, but I now know that the very best way to start my day is by giving thanks to God for what He has done for me and asking Him how I can be a blessing to other people.

I encourage you to spend time each morning focusing on the good things God has done in your life. Think about the dangers and difficulties He has brought you through, the ways He has healed you and changed you, and how good it is to know He cares for you and hears your prayers.

When you learn to set your mind on God each morning, He will give you all the peace and joy you need to live for Him as you go about the rest of your day.

Prayer starter: Lord, I make a decision today to pursue You first thing when I get up every morning. Nothing is more important than seeking You and receiving Your peace and joy.

Psalm 119:147

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

Take responsibility for your hapiness

**Joyce Meyer

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that I cannot count on someone else to make me happy. God has given us the ability to take responsibility for our own happiness.

A lot of people are not happy unless a certain person behaves a certain way, or unless a certain situation works out just the way they want it to. Every day we let our happiness depend on other people and situations, when in reality, God wants us to find our happiness in Him.

There was a time when I would feel sorry for myself if Dave went to play golf the day after one of our big conferences. I wanted him to go shopping or watch a movie with me. But God showed me that we have different ways of relaxing and unwinding.

That is just one example, but there are so many ways that we put unrealistic expectations on people and rely on them to keep us happy. God wants us to look to Him first and rely on Him for our happiness.

Prayer starter: God, my happiness should only rely on You, not other people and situations. Today, I get rid of my unrealistic expectations and take responsibility for my own happiness.

Ecclesiastes 3:12

I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.

God is our source, not the world

**Joyce Meyer

God's financial system is not like the world's system. And no matter what happens around us, we do not have to be fearful because God loves us.

While the world's financial systems are often unstable, the love of God never changes and remains our solid foundation in life. We can have confidence that whatever is happening, God wants to help us and will go out of His way to meet even our simple day-to-day needs.

Second Corinthians 9:10 emphasizes that God will provide for our needs and give us "bread for eating."

God is the One who supplies our needs. Our jobs are not our source, God is. So when jobs and investment disappear, we do not have to feel hopeless because God is not limited. He can provide for us through other means, in ways we may not have imagines or are able to figure out ahead of time.

Matthew 6:26 reassures us that if God takes care of the birds, we can believe He is going to provide for us, too. Do you believe that God can take care of you?

Prayer starter: God, thank You for being a faithful, trustworthy source and providing all I need. No matter what happens, I rely on You and only You to meet my needs.

2 Corinthians 9:10

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

Taking care of your body

**Joyce Meyer

Some of us have not learned to love our bodies enough to properly care for them. To change that, we must confront the three biggest obstacles to healthy living.

We do not know to care for our bodies. Bad diets, misinformation, and fast foods have confused people about what a wholesome diet is and how to eat the right foods in proper amounts.

Our view of body image is skewed by media and advertising. We are bombarded with unattainable ideals of beauty, while obesity is so prevalent that it is almost considered normal. We need to rediscover what a healthy person looks like.

Exercise is nearly obsolete. We have invented enough conveniences that we often live completely void of exercise. We do not even walk anywhere if we do not have to! But the truth is, a good deal  of our well-being is dependent on exercising our bodies. 

If you struggle with these obstacles, make a decision today that you will not be defeated. God tells us to treat our bodies well, and He will always help us do the things He tells us to do. So make a decision to rely on God's strength and live a healthier lifestyle.

Prayer starter: God, I want to honor You by taking care of my body and living a healthy life. I believe that I can make changes through Your power that is at work in me.

1 Corinthians 6:20

You were bought a t a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Let God do the heavy lifting

**Joyce Meyer

One of the most important things I have learned is to let God do the heavy lifting. Too many times we see what is wrong with ourselves and try to mix it through our own strength, but this will never be good enough. Jesus said in John 15:5, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (NIV).

We may try to be self-sufficient, but we need to let God supply the grace and ability to do what we need to do. Willpower and determination can get us started, but they have been know to quit in the middle and leave us stranded. 

We can learn to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us by inviting God to become involved in every aspect of it. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

We are not made to function without God. And with Him, we can break any bad habit or addiction, like overeating, substance abuse, poor time management, anger issues, you name it. Jesus is bigger than any problem you have.

Prayer starter: God, I know that I am nothing without You, so I invite You into every area of my life. I will let You do the heavy lifting, following and trusting You every day.

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

The enemy has a plan too

**Joyce Meyer

God has a plan in your life, but the devil has a plan for you too. As a result, the Bible says we need to "be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times."

Temperate means 'disciplined,' sober of mind means 'serious,' vigilant means 'determined' and cautious means 'careful.' We are to live like this 'at all times.' That is serious.

But we need to get serious to fight off the enemy. Whenever God show you an area in your life where the enemy is attacking you, that is not the time to sit back and do nothing. It is time to get serious and fight back against Satan.

God's plan is for us to be more than conquerors in Christ. We do not have to line enslaved to the enemy's plan. You can decide right now to do what you need to do. Get serious with God, follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and stay on guard against the enemy. Choose today to follow God's plan for your life, not Satan's, and you will defeat the enemy at every turn.

Prayer starter: God, I choose Your plan, not the enemy's. Show me the areas where he is attacking me and guide me in defeating him.

1 Peter 5:8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

God can clean up any mess

**Joyce Meyer

I was seriously abused throughout my childhood. My life was horrible! I do not remember ever being really happy until I was in my twenties. My mind was a mess, my emotions were a mess...everything was a mess!

But it did not stay that way. God has dealt with me, changed me and brought me through it all. Now I have a great relationship with God, real peace and joy, good relationships with family and friends, and I am doing what God has called me to do.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. I have discovered that anything I sacrificed to get closer to God and obey Him, I received back from Him many times over what I gave. And what He gave me was always much better. 

You may be thinking, "But Joyce, You do not know what I am dealing with. It is so hard!"

I understand, I have been through some really hard stuff. But God will reward those who seek Him. Be determined to seek Him in the midst of your hardship. He is more than able to clean up your messes!

Prayer starter: God, I believe that You can clean up my messes. Instead of staying stuck in my troubles, I earnestly seek You today.

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

What if?

**Joyce Meyer

What if...?

The longer a person lives, the greater the possibility becomes that they will be haunted by those words. The good news is that for any follower of Jesus, "what if?" does not have to be a regret over the past but an exciting challenge to see the future God has for them.

I know of a congregation that was challenged by their pastor to do four simple things (for only a month) to consecrate themselves for the coming year. He asked them to pray every day, fast one day a week, tithe and bring one unsaved person a week to church.

The result was an unprecedented breakthrough in the life of this church. God's presence marked the services in an increased way. Financial breakthroughs came for ministry projects and proposed buildings. In addition, church members entered a phenomenal season of bringing lost souls into God's kingdom.

I want to challenge you: What if you pursued God today, just like that church? What if you dedicated your life entirely to Him? What if you pushed forward, ready to see what God can do? What might happen?

Prayer starter: Lord, I do not want to spend my life asking 'what if'?' and never seeing any breakthroughs in my life. I make a fresh commitment to pursue You today, excited to see the amazing things You will do in my life.

Philippians 3:13

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.

Forgetting about ourselves

**Joyce Meyer

Paul said that he had been "crucified with Christ." In other words, he had to stop thinking about himself in order to live for God. And we are encouraged to do the same.

At this point you may be thinking, "What about me? Who is going to take care of me?" This is usually what prevents us from living the way God wants us to live. It always comes back to me.

We are so accustomed to seeing our desires satisfied that the very thought of forgetting about ourselves even for one day can be frightening. But if we can muster up the courage to try it, we will be amazed at the freedom and joy we experience.

The secret to having joy is giving your life away rather than trying to keep it. When you get the focus off of you and onto God, God can show you how to live a truly meaningful life.

I encourage you to start your days by dedicating yourself to God. When you do, He will faithfully help you live a godly life.

Prayer starter: Lord, I offer You my eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, heart, finances, gifts, talents, abilities, time, energy, all of me! It is not about me. It is all about You.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I line in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Step out and find out

**Joyce Meyer

People often ask me how to find their place in ministry. Some spend many years waiting to hear a voice or to receive supernatural direction. I tell them to step put and find out.

Early in my journey with God, I wanted to serve Him. I felt He had placed a call on my life but I did not know exactly what to do, so I tried different opportunities that were available.

A lot of them did not work out for me, but I kept trying different ones until I found an area that fit me. I finally came alive inside when I had an opportunity to share the Word with people. I found joy in teaching, and it was obvious I was good at it. I knew then that I had found my place in ministry.

Sometimes the only way to discover God's will is to practise what I call "Stepping out and finding out." If you have prayed about a situation and do not seem to know what you should do, take a step of faith. Do not be afraid of making a mistake. Step out and God will guide you.

Prayer starter: God, I trust You, and I know that You will direct my steps, so I am not afraid to step out and find out what You have for me.

Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Reaching out to others

**Joyce Meyer

I have been amazed by the countless calls our ministry has received during the years to help churches become more outreach-oriented. Then, when help is offered, people exert a minimal amount of effort to continue what God places as a top priority.

Reaching out to others is not something we should pay lip service to. It should be a top priority of living the Christian life.

It takes determination and commitment to stretch ourselves to help others, but that is how God wants us to live. God says that when you truly give and pour yourself out for others, He will use you. "Your light shall dawn in the darkness and your darkness shall be as the noonday" (Isaiah 58:10 NKJV).

If you reach beyond your own situation and bring Christ's love to others, the circumstances you face will fade away and disappear. And you will experience the wondrous joy of making a difference where it counts.

Prayer starter: Lord, I want to readjust my priorities and reach out to others the way You want me to do. Help me as I step out with determination to make a difference for You.

Isaiah 58:10

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

Dying to self daiily

**Joyce Meyer

Selfishness is not learned behavior, we are born with it. But when we accept Jesus as our Savior, He comes to live in our spirit, and if we allow that renewed part of us to rule our decisions, then we can overcome the selfishness. It does not go away, but the Greater One who lives in us helps us overcome it daily (see Galatians 5:16).

Now, I have not overcome selfishness entirely, and I doubt anyone else has either. Even the apostle Paul, one of the greatest Christians who ever lived, had trouble overcoming selfishness. Learning to live unselfishly was a journey for him, just like everybody else. He said that he had to "die to self" every single day.

We are called to the same life. It may be hard, but we cannot live selfishly lives and expect to make a difference. We must die to self every single day. That may sound difficult, but when you live with the life of Jesus inside you, He can renew you and help you live the unselfish life.

Prayer starter: Lord, I am not perfect, but I know that like Paul, I can die to self every day. With Your life inside me, I know that I can overcome selfishness.

1 Corinthians 15:31

I die every day - I mean that, brothers - just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God opens and shuts doors

**Joyce Meyer

There are critical times in our lives when we especially need to know we are hearing clearly from God. It is not always easy to know His voice from that of our own emotional reasoning. But I know from experience that God can open doors of opportunity that no once can close, and He can also close doors that we cannot open.

I spent many years trying to organize things I wanted to do in life. The result was frustration and disappointment. But I found favor and make things easy for us when we seek Him and His perfect timing. He leads one step at a time. If you take one step forward in the wrong direction, He will let you know before you go too far.

Be aware that His thoughts are above your thoughts. He sees the end from the beginning. All His ways are right and sure. He knows what makes sense for your life and He can make it happen. Hear from Him and you will not be deceived. 

Prayer starter God, I trust You to open the right doors in my life and shut the wrong ones. Even when I do not know what to do, I have faith that I can hear from You and follow Your will.

Revelation 3:7

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."

Keep God's temple in good shape

**Joyce Meyer

Until I turned 64, I would never exercised in a serious way. I had walked and done a few things to stay in decent shape, but I was not dedicated to exercise. I had reached into my excuse bag many times over the years and come up with all kinds of 'reasons' I could not exercise. But the Lord spoke to me and encouraged me to begin a serious workout program so I could be strong for the last third of my journey through life.

I already had good eating habits, and when I obeyed the Lord and started going to the gym several times a week, I stepped into a new season of life. I looked better, I felt honoring God by taking good care of the body He gave me.

I urge you to trust God and start finding ways to pursue healthy daily. The Word says that our bodies are temples of God. I do not know about you, but I want to make sure that God likes His temple! Today, make the choice to keep your temple in excellent shape for God.

Prayer starter: Lord, I commit to a lifestyle of good physical health. Help me to make good choices that will continually improve my health. My body is Your temple, and I want to keep it in excellent shape for You!

1 Corinthians 6:19

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own

Take challenges one day at a time

**Joyce Meyer

I strongly urge you to face your challenges one day at a time. Looking too far down the road only tends to overwhelm us. Trusting God requires that we believe He gives us our 'daily bread'; that is, we receive what we need as we need it and usually not before. 

Sometimes challenges can seem impossible and overwhelming, but God is always with us. We just need to be courageous and receive the strength He gives us. Without thinking too far in advance, we can set our minds to quickly and efficiently do the task before us today.

This principle applies to many other areas of life, getting out of debt, cleaning and organizing your house, solving marriage problems, disciplining your children, being on time for work or completing a project. Whatever you need to do in life, you can do it.

Remember, Philippians 4:13 says you are ready for anything and equal to anything because God gives you strength. Nothing is too much for you when He is on your side.

Prayer starter: God, even when the challenges before me seem impossible, I know that I can tackle them one day at a time because You are with me. I receive Your strength today.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Pursue the excellence of Daniel

**Joyce Meyer

Daniel is a man in the Bible who is described as having an 'excellent spirit.' He lived to glorify God with his life, no matter what it costed him.

Daniel loved God and was unwavering in his commitment to serve Him. As a result, God gave him favor with the king, which led to his promotion over the other leaders in the land. But his commitment to God was tested.

The leaders did not like that king favored Daniel. So they manipulated the king to sign a decree that prohibited anyone from praying to any god other than the king for 30 days. Violating the decree meant being thrown into a den of lions.

Daniel did not cave in to this decree, he was more concerned about keeping his commitment to God. If you know the story, you know God protected him and was glorified in the end.

I want to encourage you to live with that same excellent spirit. Be determined to really live for God. As you do, you will fulfill your true purpose and glorify God in everything you do, just like Daniel.

Prayer starter: Lord, I commit myself to a life of excellence, just like Daniel. Instill an 'excellent spirit' in me, so that I may serve You unwavering in all that I do.

Daniel 6:3

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Godly motives

**Joyce Meyer

Years ago when we were struggling financially, I grew tired of believing for a breakthrough and broke down before the Lord. I cried about it for a while and then, by the grace of God, I made a decision and declared: 'God, I am going to tithe and give offerings until the day I die, whether I ever see anything come from it or not!'

I believe with all my heart this was a test for me to see why I was really giving. The Lord wanted to reveal whether I had the right, godly motives. If I had been sure of reward, I may have only selfishly given to get something out of God.

There has been a lot of teaching and preaching that says, 'Do this and you will get that.' But what about having a pure heart that says, 'I want to do the right thing just because it is right and it glories God'?

I urge you to test your motives today and make sure they are not self-centered. Make a wholehearted commitment to serve God for the right reasons. 

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, search my heart and explore my true motives and intentions today. If they are not godly in any area, point them out to me and help me to change.

Psalm 139:23

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Walk in the same favor as Jesus

**Joyce Meyer

From childhood, Jesus walked in the supernatural favor of God and men. In fact, He was so popular He could hardly find time alone to pray and fellowship with His heavenly Father. Even those who did not believe in Him recognized that He walked in the favor of God.

The guards sent by the Pharisees to arrest Jesus returned saying, "Never has a man talked as this Man talks!" (John 7:46 AMP). And right up to the end of His life, even while He was on the cross, the people recognized that God was with Him (see Luke 23:47-48).

This same favor is available for us. We must never forget that no matter what happens, we can have favor with God and with other people (see Luke 2:52). But like so many good things in life, we must activate our faith to receive it. 

So today, live by faith, confidently knowing that God will give you the favor Jesus had. Regardless of the circumstances that come into your life, believe God for supernatural favor.

Prayer starter: God, I know that the same favor that Jesus walked in is available to me. Help me to walk by faith and receive it today.

Luke 2:52

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Do not be busy. Be fruitful.

**Joyce Meyer

Are you doing 'stuff' that is not bearing fruit? Is busyness stealing your peace?

I once heard of a guard who watched over a certain plot of ground at Buckingham Palace in England. For  100 years, 24 hours a day, that plot of land had been guarded. 

Finally, someone asked, 'What are you guarding?' He did not know and simply said it had been under guard for 100 years. It turned out that 100 years ago, the queen had planted some rose bushes there and wanted to make sure they grew. Now, a century later, a guard stood where a rose bush once stood, guarding nothing.

Are there things you are doing but you do not know why you are doing them anymore? God never called us to be busy. He called us to be fruitful. Too much pointless activity does not bear fruit and only stresses us out.

I encourage you to take an inventory of what you do throughout the day. You might be doing something God's not asking you to do, or something He was asking you to do but is not anymore. Let the Holy Spirit show you how to get rid of busyness and bear some fruit.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, help me take an inventory of my life and cut out pointless activity. I do not want to be too busy. Show me how to live a more fruitful life.

Ecclesiastes 5:3

As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

Go after peace!

**Joyce Meyer

What causes us to lose our peace? Lots of things, running late, traffic jams, spilled coffee. That is why it is so important to 'exercise' walking in peace every day. For example, you have to decide when to close your mouth and not be easily offended. And you have to be OK with being wrong sometimes.

You cannot just sit back and wish for peace, wish the devil would leave you alone, or wish that people would do what you want. The Bible tells us to actively pursue peace. You have to make up your mind to crave peace.

For God's Word to bear fruit in our lives, it must be sown in a peaceful heart of someone who works for and makes peace. All believers have a responsibility to maintain a spirit of peace so God can spread His Word in and through them.

Are you looking for a breakthrough in your life but no matter how hard you try, it is not coming? It is more than likely because you are not living in peace. So I urge you, crave peace, seek after it, and go for it with all your might!

Prayer starter: Lord, I cannot just sit back any longer, waiting for peace to materialize. I want to actively pursue it. Show me the way as I go after Your peace.

Psalm 34:14

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Narrow is the road

**Joyce Meyer

Following God means walking the 'narrow road.' It means facing adversity. Here are several things I have learned that help me to keep going:

1. God's Word is a border for my life. As long as I stay within the guidelines laid out in Scripture, I will have what I need to do what I need to do. God is faithful and true to His Word.

2. I have to be willing to finish what I start. God uses committed people who are not led by emotion. It is easy to be excited in the beginning when something is new, but the ones who cross the finish line are the ones who hang in there when no one else is excited anymore.

3. When no one is there to help me, I get to know Jesus really well. The narrow road of living for God and not conforming to the ways of the world is often lonely. But the trade-off of gaining real intimacy with Christ is worth more than anything you could ever get from the world.

I believe these truths can help you like they have helped me. Always remember that even through there will be opposition, the rewards of walking the narrow path are absolutely worth it.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, I desire to walk the narrow path - the way of life in Christ. Keep me within Your boundaries and show me how to live so that I can persevere to the end.

Matthew 7:14

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Who does God use?

**Joyce Meyer

God has chosen me to speak to crowds. People listen to me because God has anointed me to speak for Him, it is part of His destiny for my life. And God will anoint whoever He chooses to work through. That includes you.

Who does God use? The Bible says that He picks the unlikely. He uses common, ordinary people like you and me.

When I started to preach the Gospel, some of my friends rejected me, they did not think I should do that because I am a woman. In fact, they told me I could not do that.

But I was doing it because God told me to do it, and I trusted that if He told me I could do it, then I could do it. The same thing is true for you. If you are willing to have am uncommon goal, God can do something great through you!

Every common person can be used mightily by God. You just have to believe He can use you and be daring enough to embrace the goals or vision He puts in your heart. You have been chosen!

Prayer starter: God, because You have chosen me, I would not doubt the destiny You have for me. Thank You for giving me a purpose in You.

1 Corinthians 1:27-28

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are

Call God 'Abba'

**Joyce Meyer

Fear can be a powerful influence in our lives. It is really just the enemy's perversion of faith. He says to us: 'Believe what I am telling you. This is not going to work. Your prayers are not any good. You do not have right standing with God. You are a failure.'

Fear always tells you what you are not, what you do not have, what you cannot do and what you will never be. But Romans 8:15 says that you are a child of God who can call Him "Abba Father."

The word Abba was a term little children used in addressing their fathers. It would be similar to our word Daddy. It is less formal than Father and denotes a comfortable closeness between a child and his or her father.

Jesus said we could call God 'Abba' because He had delivered us from all fear. He will always take care of His beloved children, and we can approach Him without fear of rejection. When we run to Him with any problem or pain, He is waiting with open arms to comfort and encourage us.

Prayer starter: Abba Father, I know that You will take care of me, Your beloved child. You alone can deliver me from all fear, so I run to Your open arms.

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Stir each other up

**Joyce Meyer

I have three friends with whom I sometimes go to lunch or have coffee. We often talk about things God has put on our hearts to do for others or creative ideas for fresh ways to be a blessing. I believe conversations like this are very pleasing to God.

The idea of encouraging others to be aggressive in doing good works is not new. Hebrews 10:24 says we should consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. We should actually study and think about how we can stir others to do good works and loving, helpful deeds.

Following God by myself is powerful, but I find that it is so much more enjoyable with friends. I would like to challenge you to find like-minded people who want to follow God. Enlist people you know and invite them to a planning session on practical ways to live out a Christian life. Find ways that you can serve God and live out His love together.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, connect me with the right friends who will help me follow You more. I want to live the Christian life with others, stirring each other up to live out God's love.

Hebrews 10:24

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Show mercy to your enemies

**Joyce Meyer

I love the movie "El Cid," the story of the man who united Spain and became a great hero.

For centuries the Christians had fought the Moors. They hated and killed each other. In battle, El Cid captured five Moors but refused to kill them because he realized that killing had never done any good. He believed that showing mercy to his enemies would change their hearts and then both groups could live in peace.

One of the Moors he captured said, 'Anyone can kill, but only a true king can show mercy to his enemies.' Because of El Cid's one act of kindness, his enemies offered themselves to him as friends and allies from that point on.

Jesus is a true king, and He is good, kind and merciful to all, even those who hate Him. Can we do any less than follow His example? Right now, can you think of anyone to whom you could show mercy? Being merciful and good, especially to your enemies, may be one of the most powerful things you have ever done.

Prayer starter: God, it is not easy, but like Jesus and El Cid, I want to be the kind of person who shows mercy to all, even my enemies. By Your grace, I choose now to live a life of mercy.

Matthew 5:43-44

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Let your light shine

**Joyce Meyer

Famed philosopher and orator Edmund Burke once said, 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' It is true. Doing nothing is easy, but it is also dangerous. Where there is no opposition to evil, evil will multiply. 

We all fall into the trap of complaining about the things that are wrong. But complaining does nothing except discourage us even more. It changes nothing because there is no positive power in it.

Imagine what a mess the world would be if all God did was complain about everything that has gone wrong since He created it. But the Father does not complain. He continues to be good and work for justice. Evil is powerful, but good is more powerful.

We need to stop and realize that God has chosen to work on this earth through His children, you and me. His light is inside us and we cannot afford to do nothing. We must let our light shine, no matter what, as we live our lives doing good in His name.

Prayer starter: Lord, it is very easy to sit back to do nothing, but it is so much better to actively let Your light shine. Help me stand in opposition to evil, and act on Your goodness every chance I get.

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deed and praise your Father in heaven.

God's love is not based on feelings

**Joyce Meyer

It is impossible for human love to be unconditional, like God's love. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we have the love of God in us. We can let that love flow freely, without conditions. Our love fails, but God's does not. Our love comes to an end, but God's does not.

Sometimes I find that although I cannot love a person in my own strength, I am able to with God's love. The true love of God does not depend on feelings, it is based on a decision. It is not based on whether or not that person deserves it. And it is absolutely freeing to be able to love people without stopping to ask if they deserve it.

Human love depends on feelings. It loves people because they have been good to us or they loved us first. That kind of love comes and goes.

God's love is totally different. It is not based on anything except God Himself. When we receive Christ as our Savior, the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Pour out God's love to others today.

Prayer starter: God, my love may run out, but Yours never will. I will continue to draw on Your endless love so that I can give it out to others, without being concerned about whether they deserve it or not.

Romans 5:5

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Loving without getting tired

**Joyce Meyer

God speaks frequently in the Bible of our responsibility to the oppressed, widows, orphans, fatherless and foreigners. He mentions those who are lonely, neglected, forgotten and devalued. He cares deeply for the oppressed and the hungry.

People can be hungry in many ways. They may have plenty of food to eat but be starving to feel valuable. God lifts up those who are bowed down with sorrow; He protects the stranger and upholds the fatherless and the widow. How does He do this? He works through people. He needs committed, submitted, dedicated people who live to meet the needs  of others.

Mother Teresa once said, 'Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.'

I have come to understand that many people we encounter daily are just trying to survive until someone rescues them, and that someone could be you or me. Let us allow God's love for the hurting and broken to work through us, meeting the needs of those who are hurting spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Let us love without getting tired.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, empower me to love without getting tired. Give me Your heart for the hurting and the needy and show me how to meet their needs.

Psalm 146:7-9

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free.

The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow.